as in to backfire
to have the reverse of the desired or expected effect
the well-meaning gesture boomeranged, since he ended up being offended by it
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for boomerang
Verb
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While a mother and daughter gained attention online when a prank at Starbucks hilariously backfired.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Apr. 2025 -
Overzealous recommendations or intrusive suggestions can backfire, creating a sense of overreach.—
Aytekin Tank,
Forbes.com,
29 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Kings Kings rally to take lead, only to collapse in third period of Game 3 loss to Oilers April 25, 2025 In Game 4 the Kings led with less than 35 seconds to play when Quinton Byfield failed to make a simple clearance out of the Kings’ zone.—
Kevin Baxter,
Los Angeles Times,
3 May 2025
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The agreement was due to be signed in February but collapsed in the wake of a heated exchange between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy over how to end the Ukraine-Russia war.—
Jane Onyanga-Omara,
USA Today,
2 May 2025
Verb
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The crop can be harvested at anytime but most leave the bulbs in the ground until the tops decline and flop over.—
Tom MacCubbin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 Apr. 2025
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The Bali project seems to have flopped, reportedly leaving local construction workers in the lurch.—
Kyle Khan-Mullins,
Forbes.com,
11 Apr. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Boomerang.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/boomerang. Accessed 7 May. 2025.
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